Coming of Age
by WeHateLeeks
Summary: Pantheon and Leona are in for a lot of trouble as the date of the Rite of Kor approaches. Can they overcome all obstacles and seize their right to adulthood? Several other champions included. OCs inevitable. Rated T for mild swearing and fighting.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes

New story that is related to Coming To Terms. But I don't plan on fluffing or hurt/comforting this one thus it's in another story altogether. Slight references to the previous story but can be read alone. I have got the whole thing panned out for an estimated 3-4 chapters. Updates will be irregular (I'm a whimsical guy). The story is about Pantheon and Leona going through the training all the way up to the Rite of Kor with major bumps in the way. Mostly made up of course due to the lack of lore from Riot. Trying my best to make it seem original and parallel to the lore.

Several OCs are introduced. Diana and Darius are also here.

* * *

The initiates for the Kor woke up at dawn every morning for strength exercises. That mainly constituted of several dozen of insane exercises that no other nation would ever come up with for their men. Some like the tree climbing exercise were doable, unless you were talking about the Targon Pine tree which normally grows to heights of nearly 150m tall. Then again that probably was nothing compared to the tree felling exercise that they had to do, using their fists.

Then they had breakfast. Morning meals meant big, huge chunks of bread fresh from the oven with cheese and butter- all from home grown, purely organic, free range mountain goats- to be swallowed down with goat's milk. If you were the last to reach the mess hall, you can expect nothing but leftover servings of bread crusts and butter. After dishes were done, the initiates would then have to jog 8 kilometres to the training grounds where retired veteran warriors would teach them weapon handling. Initiates were taught various sorts of weaponry, swords to harpoons, daggers to spears, wooden bucklers to aspides. No ranged weapons were allowed. Rakkorans viewed them as cowardly tools of battle.

Afternoon was Pantheon's favourite time of the day. Afternoons meant two things; games or duels. Games were devised to improve skills so normally they did hunting or capture the flag (which turns brutal quite often). Duels were devised for the teens to blow off steam and settle disputes that arise along with their hormones. Duels were Pantheon's specialty, which was why he had arrived so much earlier than the rest of the initiates to the battlegrounds. Even Elder Doru had yet to arrive, and the sage was always early. Since he had ample time, Pantheon climbed up the terraced seats of the amphitheatre to the top where he sat down on the base of a broken marble column.

"Hey, Leona!" A fellow initiate calls out to the brown haired girl as she ran towards her. The mess hall was situated in a huge open flatland in the valley. Long tables with fixed benches were placed in rows, capable of fitting twenty initiates each. Tall, uncut grass tickled at Leona's feet as she idled away on her seat at one of the benches, building castles in the sky when her friend had called.

"Hello, Penny." Leona said, continuing to play with a weed flower she had plucked from the ground at her feet.

Penelope was a cheery girl of Leona's age. She had lived down the street from where Leona and Pantheon lived during their younger years. Her short golden locks swished softly as she shook her hair out of her face which was flushed from running. Her breaths were slightly uneven from her recent exertions.

"Elder Doru started the duels and noticed you weren't there. He sent me to look for you. It's your turn soon. He is not pleased with your tardiness." Penelope explained, taking huge gulps of air in between, "I had to search all over the camp for you. I initially thought you were at camp but then you weren't so I- hyurk!" Penelope ranted on before being dragged by Leona as she caught Penelope's hand on the way to the Ring. The Ring was an amphitheatre constructed right in the middle of their training camp. In the afternoons, it was used for duelling and various sports or that the initiates and their elders could think of. By night, it was the perfect place for fooling around and engaging in more mock battles.

Leona and Penelope raced across the camp, Penelope setting the pace as she was the more exhausted of the two. Greenery and snow covered mountain tops mixed into a blur as they traversed the site. "Who is queued before me?" Hopefully the duel being held now was evenly matched so that Leona would have more time to reach the Ring. She could already see the peak of the tall marble columns belonging to the borders of the Ring.

"Diana versus Perseus. You made me miss it!" Penelope whined, hearing the whacks of wood on wood originating from the amphitheatre ahead of them. Loud cheers echoed off the circular field when a particularly loud whack was heard. "Come on! Done already?!" Penelope threw her hands in the air as silence took over the amphitheatre.

"Diana? She isn't as good as Perseus is she?" Leona asked, trying to put a face to the name. She recalled Diana as being a regular initiate and nothing noteworthy about her, combat-wise at least. A very... average initiate.

"That's why it was such a surprise. Perseus blindly charged at her and got tripped right away. She never took a swing at him, only defending with just a sword." Penelope described, eyes lighting up in excitement, slowing down to a fast walk as they entered the Ring.

_No aspis?_

The Ring was filled with Rakkorans, mostly initiates who were booing at the spectacle before them. The girls sat on the grass surrounding the centre while most of the boys were standing, hands outstretched with thumbs down as they bobbed their appendage. Leona tried to locate Pantheon in the crowd but failed to do so with one sweep of her eyes. Most of the boys had black hair in Rakkor so it was not an easy task to find him in the sea of people. She decided to watch the match before her as the tale told by Penelope had taken hold of her curiosity. What she saw, made her mouth a silent wow in awe.

Diana stood in the middle of the Ring, chest out and arms slack at her sides with a sword in her right hand. Her platinum blonde hair flowed down her leather armour, almost like a short cape that reached down to the small of her back. Her silvery grey eyes were trained on the body of a larger person, a teenage boy sprawled on the ground at her feet. The boy was breathing heavily, grass in his hair and mud on his armour. Diana did not even have a single speck of dirt on her. Whereas the boy was winded and ungraceful, Diana stood there in silent vigil, poised and emotionless.

"Winner, Diana." Elder Doru's voice echoed across the Ring, silencing the entire audience in the Ring. Elder Doru was a veteran of the second Rune war, with a scarred body and a right hand missing. His salt and pepper hair was cut short, giving him the look of a wise, aged warrior from an era gone since the conception of the League of Legends. Perseus was still groaning beneath the newly announced victor when Elder Doru continued, "Next is Leona against Pantheon".

The unruly crowd burst into cheers when they heard the match up. Whoops and cat calls melded with squeals and shouts, the noise growing louder and louder to an almost unbearable decibel. Leona swallowed, trepidation influencing her strides as she made her way to the centre of the Ring. Elder Doru stood in the middle of it, acting as referee and medic should anything go wrong. Diana had already left the field while two boys dragged a barely conscious Perseus to the side. Pantheon was still nowhere to be seen.

Leona had barely step foot into the combat area when a black blur flashed through her vision, causing her to tense and halt in case of danger. Then she heard the explosion of dirt flying several feet in the air only to land directly on Perseus' unconscious form that lay sprawled on the grassland. Even more cheers and laughter erupted from the audience surrounding the Ring.

_Show off._

Leona refocused her attention on the culprit ahead, her opponent for the day, the only one who could possibly best her in direct combat; Pantheon. The boy who used to be shorter than her just two years ago was no longer here. With a tall frame and stone hard lean muscles, Pantheon embodied all that was expected of the perfect Rakkoran warrior. His helmet fitted him perfectly now, hiding almost all of his face save his blood red irises that now stared at her. The leather armour accentuated every curve, every contraction of his sinewy flesh as he straightened himself from his landing position. In his left hand, he held an ordinary spear with a blunt stone tip. His other hand carried an aspis that shielded his entire neck, torso and leg, stopping just before his ankles. A light breeze rustled the red plumes on his relic helmet, enforcing the fact that he was truly a favourite initiate to be allowed to wield relic armour in the camp.

"Weapon of choice, Leona?" Elder Doru asked, seeing as Leona had come empty handed. An initiate on duty wheeled in a cartful of assorted weaponry, mostly wooden practice ones that they used in the mornings.

"Sword and aspis, please" Leona said, looking at the initiate who nodded back at her, handing over the requested items.

"Same rules, no dismemberment, no ridiculing, no exceeding the boundaries. You start when I say so." Elder Doru said monotonously. He started walking away from the centre as Pantheon and Leona took their stances. They both lifted their huge shields and raised their weapons, waiting for the signal. The crowd around them grew silent once more as the atmosphere became tense with anticipation for the highlighted match of the day. Everyone knew that Leona and Pantheon were the best in their generation. There was no doubt about it. Especially when one of them was renowned for his ability to jump higher than the Targon Pine Trees themselves.

"I'll bake you a cake if you let me win." Pantheon teased, smirking behind his helmet as he tightened his hold on his spear, crouching low for the sprint as he did so.

Without missing a beat, Leona deftly replied with all seriousness as she mimicked her opponent's actions. "You'd bake me one anyways."

...

...

...

"Begin." Elder Doru's gravelly voice penetrated the entire Ring, slicing through the tense atmosphere like a hot knife through butter. Immediately, Pantheon and Leona charged forward, shields raised and weapons at the ready. Leona counted the distance between them.

_10 steps, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3..._

Pantheon launched himself off the ground with a powerful jump, intending to ram his shield and considerable weight into Leona. That did not deter Leona as she continued her original path, in fact, gaining ever more speed in the last few steps. The crowd held their breath as everything seemed to slow down. Would Leona's plan fail and she be knocked off her feet or would Pantheon's fail and he be toppled over his opponent?

Both statements proved to be correct. Leona slanted her shield just by a fraction as their shields collided with a tremendous clang of metal upon metal. Pantheon's body was pushed over Leona's as she braced the impact. Trying as hard as she could, Leona was still unable to fight against the powerful momentum brought by Pantheon, causing her knees to buckle under the pressure. She felt as if her body had been knocked over by a horse rather than a mere man.

Pantheon all but somersaulted over his childhood friend, landing heavily on his two feet. He turned on his heels, facing his opponent once again. Leona herself had just got up and prepared herself for another engagement. The huge cheering from the sidelines went ignored by the two combatants as they went through simulations in their heads, deciding which move to make.

They charged again.

This time, Pantheon chose not to launch himself into her shield, opting instead to thrust out his own to meet hers. In one fluid motion, they both spun around, keeping their shields locked to the very last possible moment before disengaging. Pantheon swung his spear out in a powerful swing that stopped right before Leona's throat. His elation at the quick victory was short lived as he found his own neck at the end of her wooden sword.

"A tie?" Pantheon questioned, not minding the outcome. He was still undefeated and this wouldn't have harmed his reputation, although he had not much care for it in the first place. Leona on the other hand, faltered when he proposed. She knew he could beat her. She was faster but he had both strength and skill on his side. It was luck on her side that she managed to draw her sword out in the nick of time to match his spear.

"Tie." Elder Doru decided for them. "It's getting late, pack up and get back to main camp." He told the rest of the audience. The initiates groaned, disappointed at the interruption to what was the most glamorous fighting they've seen all day. Nonetheless, they heeded the command obediently and filed out of the Ring orderly in units. Pantheon relaxed his stance and sighed, looking out towards the setting sun. Leona walked up to him, also looking towards the orange orb descending upon the jagged horizon that was the Targon Valley.

"You were gone most of the afternoon. Daydreaming again?"

"You do not mind a tie?" Leona asked, not planning on answering him. Pantheon took off his helmet and shook out the hair plastered to his head before replying.

"Not one bit. After all, I won't have to bake you a cake now. Better watch your figure, I see you're getting slower during your sprints." Pantheon jabbed, running his fingers through his ebony locks.

"Hey! It's not my fault you keep baking them!" Leona shouted indignantly, whacking his thigh with the flat of her blade. The only response she got was laughter from her friend.

* * *

Leona arrived late to the mess hall for dinner. All the food was either gone, or cold. Resigned to her fate, she spooned some mashed potatoes and shreds of deer meat left behind. There was some bean soup leftover to help her down the miserable dinner of the day. Leona looked around to see if anyone she knew was still present. She wanted some company for the late evening. Penelope was most likely already at the Ring fooling around with the other initiates, while Pantheon would typically be sharpening his tools or practicing his spear jabs on that old pine tree on the edge of the camp. She would be alone tonight.

She had only begun eating her food as robotically and slowly as she possibly could, trying to convey her depression to all and hopefully someone would rescue her from such a sad dinnertime when a low pitched chuckle startled her. "I've seen happier faces on Perseus' victims."

Recognising his voice, Leona did not bother to raise her head, opting instead to continue eating her abysmal dinner. She was still upset at him over the cake comment earlier on. It was not her fault that she wanted to keep her promise to him all those years ago in a small alley near the bakery.

_You'll always be my baker._

Some friend he was, always feeding her such delicious, sugary, mouth watering pastries. It was no wonder she gained bulk in no time. The wheat bread with nuts and raisins, warm and fresh from the oven never failed to fill her up in the mornings. White icing cake with dark, bitter chocolate sponge for suppers always ended her gruelling training days on a high note. But even Rakkoran women were touchy about their weight, a fact that seemed to be lost upon her childhood friend. _He's knocked his head too many times to be tactful. Hopeless tin man._

"I saved you some deer meat," Pantheon said, sliding his plate across the table. Leona's eye twitched in annoyance. She did not need him to look out for her. She could very well take care of herself. ",with some bread and cheese." He was really testing her resolve to not forgive him for pointing out her recent weight gains. "and dessert." He added, placing a small cupcake (Instead of the usual whole medium sized cake) in front of her plate. It was strawberry cream on the outside, a recipe. Leona's mouth started to salivate, much to her annoyance.

_Traitor._

"Well, sorry I can't stay long. Elder Doru asked for me so I best get going. Enjoy your dinner." Pantheon said, leaving.

Leona forced herself not to look at him until the very last moment when he turned the corner. _He hadn't had his helmet on... Wait, what do you care!?_ Leona mentally scolded herself. She pouted at no one, glancing down on the plate full of deer meat and cheese and a half loaf of bread. _Well, he did think of me after all. I can't complain can I?_ Her expression softened, allowing a small butterfly loose in her stomach at the thought. She reached out for the cupcake, intending to have one bite of it first since it was something new Pantheon had made. Just before she took her nibble, a piece of paper on the table caught her attention.

"Sorry" It read. Leona snorted, smiling a little and took the bite. _Maybe, he isn't such a tin man after all._

She spat the cake out right after. _C-carrot?_ Leona grabbed the paper, paying no heed to her cupcake now and scanned the page. On a small, fine print at the corner of the page, it read "Got to watch your weight, I'll help you starting... just now."

Leona took her words back. He was still a tactless tin man.

* * *

A small campfire burned in the centre of the tent, with a hole in the ceiling for ventilation. Firewood crackled, springing forth tiny splinters of red hot bark as the grey-white smoke floated into the air. The tent was large, one befitting of the rank of an Elder such as Elder Doru. The man himself sat cross legged in front of the fire, lost in his thoughts as the mesmerizing flames swayed with the air itself. His reverie was broken when the flap of the entrance to the tent was raised open by his guest.

Pantheon, now helmeted again, stood before the old sage at attention, not allowing his form to relax until the order was given for him to take a seat before the flames. Pantheon did not remove his relic armour but instead gazed deep into the flames just as his teacher had did just moments earlier. Several minutes went by without either one of them uttering a word. It was not an awkward situation for them to be in such a situation for they have been doing this often enough. In fact, Elder Doru relished these comings because Pantheon was not much of a chatter box. He was a man of actions, much like the sage had been in his golden years. Now the aged man was just a teacher, a guide for the younger generations to the path of honour and glory in battle, though battle is scarce with the formation of the League. Like all the others from his tribe, Elder Doru had objected the League but were grudgingly forced to accept and obey its rules to prevent wars from occurring. It was unfair of them to impose upon their ancient ways for it was never their fault to begin with. It was the Demacians, Noxians and their allies that utilised such harmful magic to disrupt the natural flow of Runeterra. Rakkorans fought with armour and weapons passed down through the generations, imbued with the natural rune magic of Runeterra itself.

But the League begged to differ, saying that if they were to be left out, the League would crumble and war would ensue, causing Runeterra to fall apart. The Elders wish to not cause such a calamity and thus agreed to join and would be sending a champion to represent them soon. Elder Doru had no doubt that the man before him was that champion. He was the best in several generations. Already an expert at the arms he chose to bear, Pantheon was a beast in battle, one that even his fellow tribesman would think twice of fighting. The true paragon of the people of Rakkor.

Finally, it was Elder Doru who broke the silence.

"Before I begin to tell you the reason of your coming, I believe you have a question to ask me. It would be better to remove all doubts between us and to keep it that way."

"Why did you stop the match, Elder? There was still time to decide upon the victor." Pantheon questioned, eyes trained on his Elder.

"We were being watched." Cold swept through Pantheons limbs.

"Then why, Elder, did we not go after this spy?"

"There was no point, I know for a fact that the spy was Noxian. That means that the Noxian army are closer than we expected. I have already sent word to the Council so that the necessary preparations can be made ahead of time. You do know of the observation exercise that you initiates are attending next week, yes?" Elder Doru asked.

"I do, Elder." Pantheon confirmed.

"Our warriors are supposedly set to have mock battles to sharpen our skills but in fact, we plan to draw out the Noxian forces." The revelation surprised Pantheon who widened his eyes.

"But Elder Doru! The League is set to apply its commandment for peace two days after that!" Pantheon reasoned.

"Which is why we are doing so. It is the last time that we Rakkorans can immerse ourselves in a full scale battle against our enemies. We've known their agenda for months now. The Noxians want to storm the Solari Temple and steal the divine armour worn by the Chosen One. Such blasphemy will not be tolerated. The League cannot save us and we do not want them to do so either. We will beat them back with our steel once and for all and let all of Runeterra remember the last battle fought before the League. Rakkor will have the last victory before peace."

"Then why are you telling this to me? Would it not be better to tell it to all the initiates?" Pantheon asked.

"Tell them that their years of training and conditioning would really, absolutely be in vain? If I were to reveal to the whole camp what I have just told you, chaos would follow. Your fellow initiates all want to be warriors in battle, seasoned veterans. Telling them that there would no longer be war would kill them." Elder Doru explained.

"Then what makes me so special? Why tell me all of this?"

"You were never a fanatic of war, were you, Pantheon?" Pantheon gulped. "I know your ambition to be a baker. I've seen you giving your friend Leona the fruits of your labour. You are a special kind of Rakkoran. One worth looking out for. The Elder council wants to send all of you initiates to battle as well with the other Rakkorans. I find it to be folly. The Noxians are lead by Darius himself, the legendary General who lead a bloody campaign all over Runeterra. Your peers would be massacred if they were sent into such a terrifying battle."

"So what do you have planned then? Surely there is something we could do to prevent that."

"Indeed I do. The Elders plan to send one of their own to order you initiates to engage from the rear of the Noxian forces where they are weakest. I shall intercept this messenger."

"Then what role do I play?"

"You, my dear boy, are the contingency plan. Should the Noxians discover of your location, they will undoubtedly kill you all. You shall lead the initiates to retreat and safely return to the city."

"Who is to say they will follow my lead? And what of our forces?"

"Do not think lightly of our warriors, Pantheon. We are Rakkorans after all. We have never lost a battle. As for your leadership, it is only natural that the pack follows the alpha. Show them your worth, kill some Noxians then order the retreat." Elder Doru concluded. Pantheon took the cue and stood up, preparing to leave.

"I understand, Elder. I will not fail you." Pantheon assured him, lifting the flap of the tent. Elder Doru nodded in return.

"That Leona, she isn't ordinary either." Pantheon tensed, hoping that Elder Doru had picked up on her counter current principles. "Look out for her, Pantheon. My old eyes used to see leagues ahead, but now they're blurry. She's in for trouble, and only you can help her."

"Yes, Elder."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N

Sorry about the delay for the update. I was procrastinating ( a poor excuse ). Could've done it a lot sooner than this, probably a good 2 weeks. I had trouble with this chapter as it sort of acts as a filler part only. Still contains juicy stuff for the plot of this story so read up readers. Again, sorry for the delay.

13/4/2014 - Just realised that the final bit is a lot more sad than what I would have wanted. So in this update I made it light-hearted.

* * *

On the eve of the observation of the warriors that the initiates were to attend, a midday celebration was held. Penelope had turned eighteen. She was another initiate eligible to go through the Rite of Kor.

Under normal circumstances, this was not something worth celebrating on such a wide scale. But Penelope was special. Penelope was the second Rakkoran in a hundred years to have been appointed to be a Solarian after her Rite of Kor. This was unprecedented in Rakkoran history but what the Solarian council decided was to be followed through, no matter what. Penelope of course was ecstatic to be given such an honour so naturally she was bubblier and chattier than usual on her birthday.

All the initiates were given tasks to complete for the celebration and the pressure was on. The Solarian were making a house call, prompting most of the Rakkorans to follow suit to city for the celebration. Such a large gathering of people meant there needed to be a LOT of food, which Pantheon was all too eager to help in that sector.

Pantheon had his work cut out for him as the only other baker was the old baker from his younger, scrawnier years as a child. Tylos the baker generally was not one to take on helpers but this time, he made an exception. Pantheon – wanting to learn as much as he could from the experienced baker – began his job with gusto, one that would take up all of his time for the day.

Leona was all too happy for her best friend to see him doing what he liked best for once in public without being criticised. Even with his status and reputation as the strongest among them, he was still ridiculed and scorned whenever they saw him practising his true passion, not that combat was not high on his list of course. It was still a priority but when baking was involved, there was no contest.

"Leona! Don't pull so hard!" Penelope complained. Leona was put in charge of helping get Penelope ready for the celebration that was going to start in just a few hours. She was braiding the birthday girl's hair when her mind went off tangent and it seems she had yanked a few strands of golden hair from its roots.

"Sorry." Leona said, not at all feeling sorry for the girl. It had taken too much time chasing Penelope around the whole camp who had suddenly decided right before her schedule for personal preparations that she wanted to greet every initiate good morning before the actual celebrations.

"Dreaming about your man-friend again? I can relate." Leona flushed scarlet but luckily, she was behind Penelope who was sitting on a chair on the balcony overlooking the city. They were in the Solarian quarters, which were rarely used at all since the Solari rarely ever showed themselves in Rakkor.

"Your hair is quite hard to work with. I can't seem to get it to cooperate." Leona lamely replied. She tugged at the hair forcefully, eliciting another moan from Penelope as she finished the hair do. The gruelling task of setting up the lady of the day's hair was finally done. "There, finished."

Penelope walked over to the mirror, squealing in delight at her hair. "It's beautiful. Who taught you to braid this way?"

"Err... Pantheon's mother did. She did it for me once on my fourth birthday. I insisted she teach me." Leona answered, appearing behind Penelope in front of the mirror holding a few dresses for Penelope to choose from.(She conveniently left out the part where Pantheon had told her she looked pretty in that braid) Penelope took a few, raising each one by one to compare. She squinted and wrinkled her button nose adorably as her preference was equally torn between two dresses. One was beige with a classical design, hooking over one shoulder while the other was navy blue of same design but of longer skirt length which flowed to her ankles.

"Which one's better?" Penelope asked.

"The blue one." Indeed, Leona really liked the blue one and had no doubt that Penelope would look absolutely beautiful in it.

"Then you wear it then." Penelope said, smiling as she tossed the blue dress back to Leona. Leona gaped at the girl who undressed on the spot to put on the new one.

"But-" Leona protested before she was interrupted.

"Need to make sure you look good in front of that tin man, right? Speaking of which," Leona's face went sour and red at the same time. "I never got to tell you how much I enjoyed your battle against him the other day. Spectacular!"

"Oh, thanks. I was just lucky. Pantheon was clearly the eventual winner." Penelope shook her head, the long braid flailing left and right.

"When Pantheon rammed his shield into yours on the first go, I was sure you'd be blown off, which you didn't. That man is scary when he jumps."

"Yes he is." Leona nodded. A short silence ensued before Penelope quipped in.

"I wouldn't mind if he jumped at me like that, nude of course."

* * *

"Tylos! I have the pies all set. The oven's still hot enough for the next batch of dough." Pantheon shouted into the adjacent room as he worked over a large lump of dough. He took some more flour, dusting it over the dough before kneading it again. His strong arms rippled and bulged as he worked on the dough with full concentration, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Alright. We're making good time here. Get that into the oven then you can have a 10 minute rest." Tylos shouted back, mixing a concoction in a gigantic black pot with what seemed to be a boat paddle. Tylos was not regretting his decision to take Pantheon as a helper. The boy was a hard worker, all focus and diligence. He knew a lot about being a baker as well and did not once complain throughout the day.

Pantheon inserted his handiwork into the oven, sighing as he stretched his abused limbs. He had been up since dawn, making all sorts of breads and pastries for the day's celebrations. He splashed some water from a bucket onto his face before leaving, heading out to the fountain in the city near the bakery. On his way, he passed by the same alley where Leona had made her promise to him. It was also the place where Perseus had delivered a good beating on him but the promise was a more significant memory connected to that place.

Pantheon on the fountain's edge, leaning his head back to gaze at the azure sky gave a long sigh. It was close to noon now, almost time for Penelope's birthday celebration. Several Solari had already arrived in the city, greeted by none other than Kor leader Jagen himself. Their long, sun themed clothes and copper tiaras distinguished themselves from the rest of the civilians who only wore ordinary chiton. They were directly led to the grand community hall where the celebrations would be held. Personally, Pantheon held little reverence for the Solari. He was not a pious man of the religion. To him, the Solari looked quite pretentious, draped in luxurious cloth and precious metals dangling from their necks.

But what he thought mattered not, for the Solari were of higher caste around here. Even Kor Leader Jagen had to be careful around them. If Pantheon ever had his way with them, he would have forced them to contribute more to the Rakkor than some random prophesies and pagan scolding; all in return for protection, food and shelter provided by the hardworking Rakkorans.

Pantheon clicked his tongue. His musings would have to be put on hold; he was going to be late if he did not start walking back to the bakery now. Just as he stood, he knocked into someone, causing him to stumble and fall over, a loud crash resounding through the area. Pantheon quickly moved to help the man stand up, muttering sorry along the way and feeling like a clumsy oaf.

"Oi, stop touching me, Scrappy!" A familiar voice protested, hands wrenching away from Pantheon's firm grasp. "You've got some nerve to knock me over. Now how am I going to fix this pot, huh?" He gestured angrily to the broken pot beside him.

It seems fate was not smiling on Pantheon today, of all times. He had to meet with his ex-tormentor, Perseus right before he was needed back at the bakery. Already, he had a gut feeling that trouble was brewing. "Hey, you deaf? I asked you a question." Perseus said, shoving Pantheon by the shoulders. Pantheon took a few steps back from the force, his knees hitting the edge of the fountain behind him. _Just great._

"Go to the potter and buy a new one. Here." Pantheon dug into his pouch for a few coins and offered it to Perseus. Perseus merely wrinkled his nose at the meagre offering.

"That's going to cost you much more than that to pay for it."

"What!? That pot can't have cost more than 2 silvers." Pantheon argued.

"But it does. Pay up, Scrappy." Perseus held out an outstretched palm.

Pantheon ruminated the idea; he could just pay up but then that would be just bowing down to him again. Or, he could pick a fight and show Perseus once and for all who was the boss around here. Then again, he was getting late and needed to hurry back to the bakery or Tylos might just flog him, top of the class or not. He was tired of Perseus bullying him and pushing him around. This was an opportune moment for him and every other victim that Perseus had ever punished for being weak. _For the others. For those that couldn't fight back._ His resolved hardened.

"No. I've had it with you and your actions." Pantheon said as he put back the coins and balled his fists while side stepping away from the fountain. He pulled his arms up, ready for the eventual fist fight.

"Oh? Is this how it's going to go down now? Best or not, I'm still pretty darned good at unarmed combat, you know." Perseus added, mimicking the pose. "I've got to hand it to you though, you finally got some balls. Without some meddling bitch beside you like last time."

Pantheon replied with a quick jab to the face, one that Perseus dodge with not a moment too soon. Perseus threw one back which Pantheon deflected with his forearm and drew first blood by landing a blow to Perseus' abdomen. He merely grunted, the Spartan (Rakkoran?) training finally paying off.

True to his word, Perseus was a skilled fist fighter. Pantheon only managed to land another two hits later; both on the ribs. Pantheon on the other hand, was still unharmed, until he accidentally stepped on a small smooth pebble that ruined his balance. Perseus noticed and took a large swing at Pantheon's unguarded head (He had left his iconic helmet back at the bakery), catching him on the edge of his chin. Pantheon fell over, his behind knocking painfully into the pavement.

He growled, getting up as Perseus smugly looked on. They raised their arms again, ready for the second bout. Just as Pantheon bent his knees for the dash, a firm hand clamped down on his bicep, startling him.

"It's my birthday, I don't want any violence on my birthday." Penelope said darkly, her face masked with an angelic smile hiding intentions of pain and malice. Rakkoran men may be the best fighters on the field but their women were fearsome both on and off it.

"R-right." Pantheon acquiesced, both glad and irked that the fight was stopped. He wished he could beat up the ass in front of him but at the same time, he hated causing a scene which undoubtedly, he had. A small crowd had gathered around the fountain during their scuffle. Not much entertainment was to be had in Rakkor. People were too busy doing their own thing, usually that had something to do with combat, of course.

"Coward! Just because a girl told you to stop!" Perseus spat, fuming at the interference.

"It takes a real man to know when to stop and listen to orders. Only a child would be so stubborn. Besides, it was probably you who asked for the fight, right?" Leona said, appearing behind Penelope with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Bah! I'm leaving." Perseus gave the finger, not wanting to admit that she was right. People parted ways as he stormed from the fountain.

Pantheon relaxed his limbs and stretched his neck which had a crick in it from the brawl. Penelope still had her hand on his bicep, a fact that was becoming increasingly awkward to address. Leona looked at the two in confusion, knowing Penelope was going to say something funny like she always did.

"Err, Penelope. You can let go now." Pantheon said as he used his unlatched hand to scratch the back of his head. Instead of letting go, Penelope merely stared back at Pantheon's blood red irises in mild wonder. _This is getting uncomfortable..._

"You have nice arms." Penelope said, squeezing his bicep in affirmation. Pantheon blushed so hard, it put his signature eye colour to shame. Leona snorted, giving way to endless girly giggling. She had both arms around her midsection to stop the stitch in her side because she was giggling so hard. Penelope herself had a smug look, smiling brilliantly at her achievement. Not many could make Pantheon so flustered as she just did. "Well, tin man. You can thank us later. We've got to go." Penelope said, finally relinquishing her hold on his arm.

"Uh, bye." Pantheon dumbly replied, watching them leave. Leona still was having trouble keeping her giggles down despite the situation. The crowd around him also dispersed, leaving him to stand almost all alone at the fountain. He blinked a few times, confused.

...

...

_Oh shit!_

And he was sprinting in the direction of the bakery.

* * *

The marble white temple was situated right in the centre of the city. Its Greek columns rose high enough to touch the clouds. Limestone stairs cascaded down to the foot of the hill which the temple stood upon. Opened wooden double doors met the two girls which dwarfed their bodies in comparison, revealing a brightly lit interior. No candles adorned the tables, no torches fixated to the pillars. All the light came from the open roof and its adjacent high windows. The sun beamed down into the hall before being reflected by the limestone floor, further providing vision to its guests.

Leona and Penelope strode side by side in their new dresses towards the altar at the other end of the temple. There was already a group of people there facing them, murmuring as the two made their appearance. Penelope especially looked radiant in her beige gown which complimented her blonde hair. "Nervous?" Leona asked. _I know I am, and I'm not the one they're looking at._

"Ha,ha" Penelope laughed in that same giggly voice of hers. "A little." She added, as an afterthought.

They both gulped simultaneously. They could identify some of the people at the other end by now. Kor Leader Jagen stood in the centre, in front of the altar, conversing with another older man- a Solari. The elder man looked familiar to Leona but she could not figure out who she was reminded of when she saw him. As they reached halfway, she decided to ask Penelope.

"The elder Solari talking to Jagen, he seems familiar. You know who he is?" Leona inquired. Penelope gave her an exasperated look.

"That's the current Solari leader, Temas. Ring any bells?"

"No, I mean he looks like someone else I know, maybe one of the initiates."

"That's Diana's father."

Before Leona could react though, they had already reached the end, stopping before Kor Leader Jagen and Solari Elder Temas . The small crowd behind them stopped their murmuring, instead switching their gazes directly onto Penelope. Tall, regal and imposing, the Solari held true to the rumours. All of them wore heavy jewellery, detailed craftsmanship not found anywhere else but Rakkor. Only they could wear it, with good reason. Penelope being their newest member was good reason.

Suddenly the room felt hot and stifling, despite it being the start of spring in the mountains.

"Penelope." Kor Leader Jagen greeted, nodding at the two. "And Leona, of course."

"Good morning, sir, Elder Temas." Penelope bowed slightly.

A deep, severe voice echoed through the room saying, "Greetings, Penelope. The Solari have come to congratulate you on your election into our fold." Elder Temas had spoken. His blond locks gleamed under the sun, distracting the girls for a moment.

"Thank you for gracing my birthday with your presence, Elder Temas." Penelope said with deference, most unlike her but given the circumstances, Leona could understand. One does not address the Solari or act as they please in front of them.

"Oh, please don't be so submissive. You're going to be a Solari. We are all equals here." Elder Temas waved his hand across his face as if warding off evils.

"It is only right to respect the head of the Solari. But thank you." Penelope smiled. Elder Temas laughed loudly, pearly white teeth showing.

"I have a daughter your age. If only she had your attitude." Penelope and Leona scrunched their eyebrows in confusion. "Anyways, the celebrations are about to begin. Best we get moving."

"Yes, Elder."

* * *

Leona had quite a lot of fun watching Penelope dashing here and there after the official ceremony (which she absolutely refused to pay attention to) to mingle with the rest of the people. Everyone loved Penelope. She was a bubbly and cheerful character, rare in Rakkor where the people normally had dry humour and would rather spar than dance. In a nutshell, Penelope was different, just like Leona or Pantheon but in her case fortunately, she was a good kind of different.

The fires that night burned brightly, casting orange hues all around the open area in the centre of the city. The giant pyre was at least one storey tall, wood crackling along to the merry music played by some Rakkoran men. Their wives provided the voices to the music, swaying to the song. Initiates danced around the fire joyfully, not having the opportunity to do so for several years, ever since they entered their training for the Rite of Kor. Most of the Solari had already retired, not the type to stay out at night. Their beliefs were really a hindrance, in Leona's opinion.

Leona slipped away from the celebrations, needing a fresh breath or air. She walked on to the temple, revelling in the cool night winds that caressed her cheeks. What used to be a pristine white temple now was dulled without the light of the sun. Instead, the moon loomed over its roof, illuminating the flat circle where the temple keepers performed their sacrifices. A particularly strong gust of wind buffeted Leona's walk, causing her to look away before dust could enter her eyes. When she did so, a silvery glint caught her eye. She lifted her head once the wind had subsided, looking up to the source of the reflection.

Many tall columns ringed the flat circular area where she stood. On one of them, a silhouette of a person sat on top of one of the older, chipped columns. Leona snapped her neck to the source noticing the platinum blonde hair. No one had such a shade of blonde except _her_.

Smiling at the opportunity presented to her, Leona looked for another column.

_There!_

With little effort, she climbed the tall column that was even more severely chipped, almost in ruins, really. When she reached the top, she jumped onto a newer column adjacent to the figure ahead which thankfully, had a wide platform to stand on. Leona readied herself to speak to the figure facing away from her, seeing as the other had yet to acknowledge her presence.

"Diana." She called out.

Diana did not respond, instead remained rooted where she sat, legs drawn up to her chest. Her head rested on her arms, supported by her knees. From where she sat, moonlight seemed to draw nearer, converging on her location. Leona blinked, never having seen such a phenomenon before. _Must be tired. Eyes playing tricks on me._

"Full moon tonight." Diana finally said, lifting her head to the moon. _Did the moon just glow brighter?_

"Yes, it is." Leona said warily. There was something not quite right here. Diana kept her gaze on the moon.

"It's beautiful." She whispered.

"That's heresy for your kind." Leona stated.

"Heresy or not, the moon is still beautiful." Diana said, smiling. _I don't think I've ever seen her smile before_.

Leona tore her gaze away from Diana, looking up at the object that had her transfixed. A cloudless sky dotted with stars encompassed her vision. In the centre of it, the moon floated and glowed, casting moonlight all over the temple. As far as beauty was concerned, Diana was right.

Leona tried a different approach. "You fought really well against Perseus the other day. He's not one easy to best in a duel."

"... I see. He wasn't that hard to deal with."

"He's known to be second only to Pantheon. That says a lot." Leona complimented. Truth be told, she had doubts whether she could beat Diana in a straight up fight.

"He's but a bull, only knows how to fight straight up. He has no tactic, no brains, only has overpowering brawn. If that is what it takes to be a warrior in Rakkor, then you people are surely a failed generation." Leona took the insult well, considering she was one of that generation of Rakkorans.

"Why were you sent here? Don't the Solari bring up their own?" Leona changed the topic back to what she had originally wanted to ask.

"They do, but in my case." Diana answered.

" Evidently. What makes you different?"

"The same reason as yours. My conviction." Leona faltered at that. She was still unsure what that meant and even more unsettled at the fact that Diana had been observing her all this time.

"You'd need to explain more than that. What conviction makes even a person as influential as your father to send his own daughter back to the training grounds of Rakkor?"

Diana stood up slowly, her dress billowing in the wind. She turned her head to the side, catching Leona's image in her peripherals for a moment before fixating her attention back to the moon.

"The moon is really beautiful."

Leona gritted her teeth, annoyed that Diana refused to give her a straight answer. Before she could question further, Diana jumped off the platform, landing neatly on the soft ground outside the circle. Irked as she was, Leona gave a low whistle at the display of athleticism as Diana stalked away from the temple.

* * *

The festivities were winding down now. Most of the citizens had already gone home for the night, leaving the initiates to clean up the mess. That meant Pantheon was yet again hard at work lifting tables with a fellow initiate named Menes. The huge pyre had been extinguished an hour earlier and they were only finishing up the cleaning before they could return to camp when the lady of the night appeared.

"Could I borrow Pantheon after this?" Penelope asked Menes. The black haired youth nodded impassively, mumbling that that was the last table to carry anyways. They left the building where they were storing the tables, making way to the edge of the field of the celebratory area.

The whole field was cleared up by then. Tables were shifted off, the charred wood from the pyre taken away- it was all gone. Vision was limited as most of the fires had been extinguished, leaving the two in almost total darkness except for the moonlight ahead. The grass tickled their feet, making shuffling noises in retaliation as they strolled to the end of the cliff overlooking the rest of the city. Once they had reached the end, Penelope gestured Pantheon to sit down at the edge with her, dangling their feet over the edges as they took in the view of the city at night. The city was quiet, tired from the events that had transpired only hours ago. Fires lazily burned, illuminating windows of the buildings that housed its occupants. The cold, harsh winter was almost over, giving way to a more temperate weather. A slight breeze, warmer than usual billowed through the city.

Pantheon was wondering why she had called him out for a break. He normally did not socialise with the other initiates let alone girls. What more, Penelope was an oddball in his opinion, always talking to others, being upbeat to everyone around her. In fact, he could never recall a moment where they actually had a proper conversation with each other. He eyed her out of the corner of his eye; uneasy about how she was care freely humming a tune as she swung her legs back and forth on the legs like a little child.

"Why did you call me out?" Pantheon questioned, finally gathering the nerve to ask.

"To talk." She deadpanned.

"I understand that but about what?"

"You haven't wished me happy birthday, for instance."

"Happy birthday" Penelope laughed at his monotone voice, devoid of any sincere congratulation.

"Thank you. But you didn't even get me anything! Everyone else did." She complained.

"Well there's nothing I can do about that now, is there?" Pantheon sighed tiredly.

"Um, yes you could."

"And that would be-"Pantheon stopped as he felt something soft and wet touch his lips.

Penelope drew away, smiling radiantly as ever, slightly red in the face yet otherwise unembarrassed. "That."

Pantheon gaped at the woman, alarmed at the sudden act of intimacy. He was not adept in the field of romance so he was left baffled at the moment. Sure, it was his first kiss but things like that did not matter in Rakkor. He was only afraid that she would tell Leona, and that would be bad, very bad, indeed. He was not sure how his friend would react but surely it would not end in his favour.

Penelope stood up, leaving Pantheon at the cliff. But before she left, she said ominously, strangely out of character for her. "There are troubling times ahead for us all. Tomorrow is going to be a rough day. Goodnight, Pantheon."

Pantheon quickly stood up, facing her as she left and shouted back, "How would you know?"

"I was chosen as a Solari for my eyes. That was why I asked you to come out, to tell you to watch out."

"And the kiss?"

"I was just having fun with that." Pantheon sputtered at those words. That woman will never stop to catch him off his chiton.

* * *

"Leona, I didn't expect you to still be here." Pantheon said as he entered the training camp's kitchen. Leona was alone, hard at work washing the pots and pans even though it was closing in on midnight. Pantheon himself was bringing back the utensils that he had brought along to the bakery to assist Tylos in the unprecedented mass scale preparation that they had to make.

Leona turned around, not in the least surprised that Pantheon was there. She actually was half expecting him to show up. She had not had the time to talk to him all day because she was so busy with Penelope (that had been a handful). Her arms were half submerged in lather as she scrubbed the massive amounts of crockery in the large sink. The only other sound being made that night was the water sloshing about in the sink as Leona vigorously cleaned the pans, trying to get rid of some very stubborn stains. "Oh."

Pantheon dumped his load beside hers, diving his hands into the lather as well to clean up his own utensils. They worked in silence then, having no need to converse. In the end, Pantheon had to help Leona clean some of her pile as well because she was doing it so slowly. (He had no idea she was doing so in order to stay around longer with him).

"Had fun today?" Leona asked, finally breaking the mood as she dried her hands, watching Pantheon scrub and dry the last of the pots.

"It wasn't as unpleasant as I thought it would have been. That was the first time I've ever seen the Solari up close."

"I know, they seem so... different from us." Leona agreed. Though the Solari were Rakkorans as well, they lived higher up in the cold harsh mountain in seclusion, hardly ever coming down to the city. It was almost as if they were a folk tale, a myth until today.

"Penelope hard to handle?" Leona's ears pricked up at that. "She has quite the character."

"Yes she does. Gets on my nerves but in the end, she's a really nice person."

Pantheon hummed, grabbing the hem of the apron that Leona was wearing to dry off his hands. Leona scowled at him though celebrating internally like a love struck girl at the simple act. "Well, I'm off to sleep. Need to get some rest before tomorrow. I heard news about a surprise."

"Huh? What surprise?"

"It's a surprise, Leona." Pantheon chided. "Need I spell it out?"

"Fine, fine smartass." Leona shot back playfully, throwing the rag she used to dry her hands at him. He dodged it effortlessly. He opened the door and left the kitchen, leaving Leona alone. She sighed, suddenly feeling weary after the day's events.

"Oh, and you should take care of those cuts on your hands. Not sure how you got it but some balm should help." Pantheon shouted from the other side.

Leona scrunched her eyebrows, not entirely sure what he meant. She looked down at her hands, seeing small half moon cuts along her palms. Her nails were also a slight brownish red, the coppery colour of dried blood. _Oh that._

Earlier on, Leona had chanced upon Pantheon and Penelope at the cliff's edge, sharing what seemed to be a moment too intimate for her eyes. With a hard lump in her throat and a heart now somewhere at the bottom of her shoes, she quickly walked away, expressing all the disappointment and anger by clutching her fists tighter than a rope on a condemned man's neck.

_Penelope might not know it but Pantheon should know by now that he already has me. He doesn't need another girl waiting helplessly around for him to fool with._

Leona may not be the sharpest of mind. She may not be the most eager in battle. But there was one thing she was. She was his woman. And it was about time that Pantheon figures that out.

This time when she clutched her fists, it was not in anger and bitter disappointment. It was in fiery determination. So strong was her determination that the rivulets of blood forming on the skin of her palms were left unnoticed.


	3. Chapter 3

Kor Leader Jagen was the one supervising the day's supposed exercise drills. His men were already assembled in full battle gear, awaiting his orders. A rather stout and bulky man, with lumpy muscles much like a sack of potatoes stood by his side, observing the men as Kor Leader Jagen told them to do warm ups. The warriors immediately spaced out along the field and started to do basic stretches. "Nice weather today. Not too sunny yet not cold enough to rain." The shorter man commented.

"Aye, Rakles. A good day for battle."

Their training ground was Leda's Twins; a large field bordered by the valley and gigantic pine trees. The interesting part about the area was the twin bottleneck choke points north of their location and 2 kilometres south of them. Behind the northern end –dubbed Castor – of the choke point leading to the city was Fort Apollo, the only fort protecting the only entrance to Rakkor. It was of modest size capable of housing three hundred or so warriors. For scale, the total military power of Rakkor consisted of (give or take a few hundred) ten thousand strong. The Noxian forces lying in wait at the other end of the choke point – dubbed Pollux – was reported to be at fifty thousand.

Today, four thousand and seven hundred men and women were gathered outside the fort for the day's battle exercises. Three hundred men were left behind at the fort should anything go horribly wrong that day. Brave and honourable the Rakkorans may be, but they were no fools. There are no guarantees in war. The three hundred warriors of course were disgruntled at Jagen's orders but they could not argue with the leader. Disobeying meant punishment and in Rakkor, punishment meant doing impossible feats that most Rakkorans would die from trying to do it.

Only once the warriors started their third phase of warm ups, the 3 kilometre sprint, did Rakles quip in. "The initiates will be here soon eh?"

"Yes, Elder Doru confirmed that they will arrive by ten in the morning."

"I heard news about a promising candidate for the future Kor Leader called Pantheon is amongst them."

"Aye, a fine lad. I've seen his skill. Very promising indeed. I hope to see his potential in the battle today."

"Rumour has it that he can jump over mountains." Rakles laughed as Jagen turned to face him.

"Not rumours at all, my second-in-command. He is as good a warrior as his father was, if not better." Rakles pursed his lips at his mistake.

"Who was his father?" Rakles asked in a more sober tone.

"You should know him. You are his replacement, after all."

* * *

Pantheon awoke to the sound of bells ringing. He groaned, tired and lacking of sleeping as he got up from his hard bed. The rest of the boys also moaned, stretching their sore muscles as they prepared for the day. It was the day of the observation, and they had to dress for the occasion.

They started putting on their armour once they had reached the armoury. Initiates were only allowed simple battle gear which consisted of a plumed metal helmet, metal breastplate, vambraces and sandals. The din of chit chat in the armoury combined with the smell of sweat and metals made Pantheon want to hurl his stomach out. Fortunately, they all geared up rather quickly after so many years of putting it on. Without further ado, they gathered at the middle of the camp where Elder Doru stood on a raised platform. They formed ranks like they had been doing all their lives, waiting for the girls who have yet to show up. The chatter of the men dimmed to a halt as they stood at full attention before the elder.

Two minutes elapsed before the other contingent appeared, also dressed in full battle regalia. They merged ranks in the vacant spots in the male contingent which was already assembled accordingly. Once the initiates had settled down, Elder Doru began his speech.

"Good morning initiates. Today is the day we take a short trip to the fort on the outskirt of the city to view how the warriors of Rakkor fight. I want you to keep your eyes open, make sure you learn as much as possible today. This is a rare opportunity for all of you, to watch real seasoned veteran warriors in their drills." He paused momentarily, making sure all were paying attention.

"Now on to more technical matters, I will not be accompanying you." A low murmur started but was quelled as Elder Doru raised his voice. "I have delicate business to attend to in the city. I am putting full authority with Pantheon. He shall be helped by Leona, Diana, Perseus, Menes and Penelope." This time there was no stopping the initiates from talking amongst themselves. It was most unusual for them to be left unchaperoned by at least an Elder of the city. Normally this would be good news but since they were left in the care of the seven most formidable fighters of their year, that meant they were not going to have any much fun.

Pantheon was definitely the strongest and one of the more mature and reserved boys, a respected person by both initiates and elders. He would not allow anyone to fool around or go against the orders. Leona by his side would of course enforce that fact. Perseus would bully everyone, throwing his authority around like it was a pie in a food fight. Menes and Diana may be the quieter ones but they were also competent in their own way because they were more severe looking than their comrades. Penelope, as everyone knew would be of no help but being a Solari meant she was given certain privileges.

Elder Doru waved his hands in dismissal, allowing the initiates to go for breakfast before they headed out to the outskirts of the city. Their camp was also located away from the city but it was in a more secluded place behind the city in the mountainous area whereas the city fort were placed at the front of the mountain. The initiates filed out neatly, dispersing well as they grouped together in their own separate cliques. Pantheon walked quickly with large strides to the mess hall. Although he walked with vigour, his mind was a wreck. Pantheon barely caught any sleep beforehand, having bullet trains of worries invading his psyche. He thought of the warning given by Elder Doru all those weeks ago. Then he thought about Penelope's own warning just last night. He was not sure how Penelope had any inkling about the Noxian supposed invasion. It was possible that she had heard rumours from the citizens or the Solari with the latter being of higher probability. The Solari were known for being prophetic but in reality, only a tiny fraction, maybe two or three members actually had that god given ability.

Pantheon himself had not been sitting idle ever since he had gotten his orders from Elder Doru . He had gone around, asking about news concerning the outside world. Rakkor was but a small city-state in the valley of the Great Barrier, the largest mountain range in the whole continent of Runeterra. Any stories coming in from the outside is considered valuable information for the Rakkorans who are wary tribe. This was to ensure that Rakkor would not be caught unawares in case of a sudden attack against their city by either the two biggest nations, Demacia and Noxus. The two nations were bitter rivals who wanted nothing more than to best each other in everything they did. One of those ways was to do the unthinkable; defeat the Rakkorans and conquer Mount Targon, the highest peak in the continent.

Contrary to popular belief, Rakkorans were more than just warriors. They were cunning tacticians as well. The Council of Elders were filled with wise men, retired warriors skilled and experienced in the beautiful art of war. From the time the first migrant ancestors of old claimed Mount Targon as their home up to now, the proud city of Rakkor has never been defeated in battle. That was because they emphasized on strength yet still utilised their brilliance in formation and battle strategy.

But of course, they only had to do that when they were facing extremely dangerous enemies such as in the chaotic Rune Wars. A battalion of Noxians were hardly dangerous. Pantheon was entirely confident that the Rakkorans would emerge victorious as always but he has heard rumours of the soldier in the Noxian ranks referred by Elder Doru as Darius. The Hand of Noxus, they called him. Reports describe him as a man clad in heavy armour not unlike a tank while carrying a huge double edged axe. Tylos had even mentioned that the man was said to be able to split a man clean in half with just an overhead swing of his blade. That was a feat even Rakkorans would respect, enemy or not. A man who has been tested and passed time and time again in the art of war, the said general was not going to be easily defeated. No matter what angle Pantheon tried to see the situation from, his countrymen were going to be in for tough battle.

"So what is the plan?" Menes who was in front of his vision broke him out if his reverie. Pantheon's body had been going on autopilot and he found himself to be seated at a round table outside the mess hall with a plate of food in front of him. All of the five sat around him save Perseus who stood behind Menes. Diana sat beside Penelope. Leona sat in between Menes and Penelope, the three of them looking expectantly at their leader for the day. Pantheon took a moment to collect his jumbled thoughts before speaking.

"Right, we lead the contingent to the fort in three files. The three ladies lead the contingent while we men bring up the rear. Once we reach Fort Apollo, we men will bring up half the contingent from the rear to split and thin out at the field in front of the fort." Pantheon explained, looking at each and every member of his team. No one said a word, only nodding as they resumed their breakfast save Diana who just sat back. After ensuring that Pantheon had nothing else to say, Perseus just left, a little too quietly in Pantheon's opinion.

"Now that Perseus is gone, I am going to tell you something that must not be revealed to the other initiates." Menes smirked at that. No one liked Perseus very much. "There is trouble brewing in the wind."

"I told you that." Penelope cried indignantly, pouting.

Pantheon ignored her, continuing his talk, "Elder Doru has reveal to me that the rumours of the Noxian invasion are true. The plan is to draw out their forces during the drills and annihilate the threat immediately."

Leona's face was full of shock, mouth gaping and eyes widened. Menes only nodded while Diana seemed as if she was not even paying attention.

"Then my suspicions are confirmed. What do we do, in light of this shocking news?" Menes asked.

"Elder Doru has told me to keep the rest of the initiates in the dark about the plan. He has hopes that the shock at the appearance of the Noxian troops will prompt them into following my given orders to retreat while the other Rakkoran will battle against them."

"Why not join them? We are armed and trained." Leona questioned.

"I'm not entirely sure of Elder Doru's motives but from my guess, he thinks the Noxian forces have something sinister up their sleeves. He said our own warriors are more than capable to handle this threat thus we have no need to jump into the fray. Anyways, this is the directive and I trust that you will keep this a secret as well as assist me in carrying out the retreat."

"Yes we will, when the time comes." Leona said with determination. She did not advocate violence and was even more strongly against them fighting the much more experienced war machine of Noxus. Rakkoran or not, she would rather keep the initiates alive than throw away their lives without a rational thought just to prove themselves as Rakkorans.

"We should fight." Menes pointed out. "I heard the Hand of Noxus would be leading the enemy army. Our men need all the help we can offer."

"No, our orders were to retreat once the battle starts." Pantheon said, finishing his meal.

"Well to hell with that!" Penelope blurted out. "We need to assist them. We are warriors, not soldiers!"

"Warriors still listen to their leader. And right now, that is me." Penelope deflated. "Are we clear?"

"Crystal." The group replied.

* * *

The journey to the field outside the fort was not long, but the straight road and unassuming landscape created the illusion of a much greater distance. The company had just exited the city and was met with greenery all over. Such a sight was rare in Mount Targon where the springtime was much short than its winters. The temperate climate was much appreciated by the initiates who had had enough of the cold, harsh winter. Thickets of pine trees dotted the area, obscuring much of the valley and mountains beside them. The initiates marched along a small river only 5 metres across that trailed all the way down to the fort ahead.

As agreed, Penelope, Leona and Diana led the group. Diana was the one closest to the river, followed by Penelope and then Leona. In an attempt to break away from boredom at the march, Penelope asked Leona, "Why so quiet today?"

"Toothache." Penelope laughed. "Enjoyed your birthday?"

"Yes. I got so many gifts from almost everyone."

"Any favourites?" Leona gritted her teeth in jealousy at the memory of the kiss.

"Elder Doru gave me a hair pin. I liked that one a lot." She nodded.

"I see..." the brown haired girl trailed off. A period of silence envelopes them save for the shuffling of feet on the ground.

"I know you saw us." Penelope pointed out. _Is that how it's going to be played?_

"Quite the kiss. Pantheon was stunned." Leona drawled.

"Hear me out." Penelope's voice turned serious as she gripped Leona's upper arm. (Her shield was on her back). Leona relented. She always did have a soft spot for Penelope. They were bests of friends after all, when Pantheon was taken out of the picture. "I did it BECAUSE you were there."

"WHAT!" Leona cried out, astonished. Diana casted a curious glance at them but looked away almost immediately. The initiates behind them jumped but otherwise gave no indication that they were interested in what the two were talking about.

"Calm your heart, my dear."Penelope sighed.

"Everything fine up there?" Pantheon hollered from behind.

"YES!" Penelope shouted over her shoulder. "I did it because you seem to be too laid back in your own attempts at getting Pantheon to see you as a woman. You almost never try hard enough. We are going through the Rite of Kor this summer. After that, it's going to be a war to get him to be your man. Have you seen the way the other girls look at him? Have you?!" Penelope shook her friend's shoulder in emphasis. "I kissed him so that you might realise that having him taken away would hurt. A lot."

"It did." Leona agreed.

"So maybe now, you'd step up to the challenge? Make the densest man in the whole of Runeterra realised that he's been in love all this while?" Leona sputtered at her words.

"He is not."

"My eyes see all, darling." Penelope released her grip. Leona was happy though, that her friend was in fact helping her instead of trying to split her apart. But there was one thing that plagued her thoughts.

"So you kissed him with that sole motive alone?" Leona immediately regretted asking that.

...

"Well. His lips tasted _sooo_ good."

* * *

"Wonder what that scream was about." Pantheon murmured to himself.

"Don't go there my friend. Women are peculiar creatures. Trying to understand them is like trying to dry your cloak in a snowstorm." Menes said, smiling. Pantheon smiled as well at his friend's sagely words.

"Ah, but their bodies of course, are a different story." Perseus added cheekily. Menes and Pantheon dropped their smiles. "What? I'm trying to be nice here."

"Well, you could start by saying more appropriate things." Pantheon pointed out.

"And maybe you could start by not always having a stick up your ass." Perseus spat back.

"Or maybe you're the one with too many sticks up yours that you need a woman's body to erase the memory eh?" Menes guffawed at that one.

"Funny guy aren't you. You just wait. One day I'll be the top gun, the alpha. Then we'll see who the funny guy is." Fort Apollo was looming over them by then. They had reached their destination.

"Only time will tell." Menes replied cryptically for Pantheon, as they entered the fort.

The leading officer for the fort was Corin. She met the initiates on the other side of the fort where they were supposed to observe the training. Tall, blonde and sharp features, she commanded the disgruntled three hundred warriors in the fort. There was a scar under her left eye where rumour has it that a legendary Noxian assassin by the name of Talon, the blade's shadow had stabbed her with a dagger. Left for dead, she dragged herself to the infirmary and did first aid on herself, sterilising the wound and stopping the bleeding before stitching up the cut. The following day, she was back on the battlefield, commanding a phalanx of Rakkorans against the heavily armed Noxians and biochemically enhanced Zaunite forces at the edge of the Jumungu jungles. So it was of no surprise to see most of the initiates looking up at awe at the battle hardened soldier.

"Who's in charge?" Her deep, almost masculine voice demanded. All the initiates snapped at attention.

"I am." Pantheon stepped up.

"Ah, Pantheon. You're late." Her eyes narrowed.

"Madam, we are 15 minutes early." Pantheon corrected. The butt of her spear slammed into his abdomen. If it was anyone else, they would have been down on the ground, moaning in pain. But this was a Rakkoran, the model Rakkoran, in fact. Pantheon merely grunted. _That's going to bruise later on._

"You're late." She repeated.

"Yes, we are late." Pantheon acquiesced. An audible gulp came from one of the initiates at the strict conduct. Corin inspected each of the 600 initiates, making sure that they had their armour strapped on correctly. A few times, someone grunted or exhaled loudly as she repeated her punishment. The inspection took a long time, long enough for Pantheon to start feeling a dull pain in his abdomen. After 20 minutes, Corin came back to the front, looking severe as ever.

"Armour poorly strapped will be your downfall in battle. Remember that."

"Yes Madam!" The initiates chorused.

"Move on to the observation point."

The initiates shuffled to the indicated spot a distance away dutifully. Only when the last of the initiates had left did Corin notice a determined brown haired girl left standing, rooted to her position at the line up.

"Problem, initiate?"

"I know about the Noxian forces." She stated.

"Oh? You are the only one?" Corin questioned, placing a hand on her hip as her other held firm on the relic spear. Leona hesitated before replying

"No. Pantheon knows."

"So he's told you about Elder Doru's plans?"

"About the retreat back to the city, yes." Corin gripped her spear harder, causing it to scrape the stone floor.

"You misunderstood, initiate. He meant retreat to the fort. To assist in the defence should our warriors down there fall."

"But Pantheon said –"

"He misunderstood. Elder Doru has told me his plans perfectly."

"Alright, I agree with this move but why did you not tell the initiates about it when you had the chance? Leaving them in the dark like this will endanger all their lives!" Leona argued.

"We want to see what they can do in a relatively controlled critical situation. Will they run and be routed by the enemy? Will they form ranks and retreat orderly? Or will they be so overcome by generations of bloodlust that they charge aimlessly into the fray?"

"So it's another test by the Elder Council."

"Indeed. You better hurry along if you want to protect all your friends, initiate." Leona had turned to leave but froze at the insinuation behind her words. "Oh yes, I've heard of you, Leona. Protecting is your forte, no? Always fighting off bullies and questioned our barbaric customs of the Rite of Kor. But now is not the time for arguing. At the present, actions determine the outcome. Will you succeed?" Corin smiled, entertainment dancing in her eyes.

"I will. Then I will come back and rub it in." Leona childishly retorted, running after her comrades. Corin gazed melancholically at Leona's fleeting figure.

"I was once like you, child. But I learned the hard way. You can't protect everyone."

* * *

"Nice view." Menes commented. Perseus whistled. They stood on a plateau overlooking the valley where the Rakkorans were having their training exercises. A phalanx was forming in the middle of the two kilometre stretch between the bottleneck choke points where it was largest in width, known as the swell of the bottle. The phalanx formation was stretched thin with large gaps from the second row onwards, only seven men deep when the recommended was ten. Kor leader Jagen stood behind the phalanx with his second in command who was bellowing orders.

"Mhmm, all those sweaty bodies pressed together nice and tight and –" Penelope's mouth was clamped shut by Diana.

"Thank you." Pantheon sighed.

"My pleasure." Diana replied.

The men started advancing towards Pollux Pass. As the swell decreased, the men at the edges seamlessly integrated themselves into the ranks adjacent to them through the gaps provided. The effortlessness of it all astounded the initiates who by themselves would have tripped over one another by then. The ranks grew deeper, to almost 15 men deep when they were ordered to stop, the entire army inside the pass. The men stood rigid and firm, shields locked together.

Penelope immediately sensed something amiss. The atmosphere went tense even on the plateau. The feeling of sudden clarity and heightened senses washed over each person present on the field, initiates and warriors alike as silence lorded over Leda's Twins.

"NOXIANS!" Menes cried as he spotted a hail of arrows streaming towards the phalanx. Noxian foot soldiers marched forward as the barrage of the arrows kept the attention of the Rakkorans.

In a blink of an eye, all the warriors on the field got down on one knee and raised their huge shields capable of protecting their whole bodies. The shields began producing a thundering noise that enveloped the entire field as the arrows rained down upon them, echoing off the valley and to the ears of the initiates who cringed at the sound.

"What are the Noxians doing here?

"Why are they attacking us?"

"We need to help!"

The initiates soon fell into disarray, voicing opinions on top of each other as they argued on the next step they should take. Pantheon and his team pushed their way to the edge where they then called the attention of the initiates before they could decide for themselves. Pantheon took a moment to prepare himself. Even though he had been gearing for this moment since Elder Doru had given him the news all those weeks ago, he was still overwhelmed at the prospect of leading the initiates, where his decisions would either save lives or kill them.

"Initiates, the enemy has chosen to strike at our warriors today." He started. The din of voices came down as his voice penetrated through their ears. "Elder Doru has informed me that they plan to steal the Chosen One's armour, our most sacred of relic weapons." The initiates responded well with booing. "He has issued the order that we are to retreat in case of a second attack from the hills."

"Hills? The valley is too high to climb. The only way to get through is Pollux Pass, and we have them blocked. Let's go assist the men at the Pass and bathe in the glory of battle!" An initiate shouted. A collection of 'Yes' and 'Let's go' went around the crowd as the din rose again, only to be quieted by Pantheon when he lifted both hands in a bid for silence.

"I understand your logic. But pray remember that the enemy has the support of magic to fight. I doubt not that they could traverse the mountains that way. The valley here is at its shortest. Yes, it would be near impossible to climb The Great Barrier in such numbers but if there was the slightest chance, it would be here, at Leda's Twins."

Pantheon had gone over the possible alternatives that the Noxian army might have taken should their forces fail to break through at Pollux Pass. It was only rational that the Rakkorans would halt their army at Pollux Pass where the advantage of overwhelming numbers would be rendered useless. So when looking at it from the Noxian army's perspective, it was natural to see that they would want to come up with an alternative than be caught in the Rakkoran's tactics. With their arsenal of magic, it was a likely option for them to utilise it and flank the Rakkoran or even ignore them outright as they directly assaulted Fort Apollo, conquering the only retreat that the Rakkoran warriors had in case they failed to hold off the main forces. Trapped between the twin passes, the warriors would be crushed and Rakkor would suffer its first defeat since its founding.

"Fort Apollo can handle itself. Besides, how sure can you be that they will in fact, do the unthinkable and climb these mountains?" Perseus said, emerging from the crowd. _Great._

"I am dead certain." He lied. The murmurings grew louder. "Thus," He shouted louder. "I order us to retreat to Fort Apollo."

"And if you are wrong?" Perseus questioned.

"Then you can flay me alive as our fathers wreck havoc on the Noxians."

* * *

The initial attack at Pollux Pass was executed perfectly on the Noxian side. That was of course, until the melee started. General Darius sat on his horse as he surveyed the initial outpour of arrows raining down upon the Rakkorans. After another two volleys, he ordered in his most commanding voice.

"Soldiers, advance!"

Ten thousand strong marched in tandem to the beat of the drum behind them towards the pass, towards the famed Rakkoran army hidden behind their mighty shields as miniature spears continued to rain down upon them. Exactly twelve steps before they met, Darius raised an enclosed fist to halt the archers lest they injured their melee comrades. As soon as the last arrow fell, all of the seasoned warriors – unharmed – locked shields again, creating the impenetrable phalanx that had foiled all attempts at conquering the Rakkorans.

Darius nodded to the mage beside him, who casted a spell that amplified his voice to reach his foot soldiers. "Charge!"

Beforehand, Darius had picked out the burliest, fastest and bravest soldiers to be placed at the front. The plan was that during the charge, they might just produce enough momentum to barrel through the formidable wall, creating several weak links in the phalanx formation that could be exploited by his men. Unfortunately, he had not gotten the chance to look through the Noxian military records that compiled every single military conquest of theirs and the reports regarding the futility of such a strategy. The soldiers died even before they reached the frontlines.

The Rakkorans waited, waited for their enemies as they charged with courage and fear mixed together in their hearts and a battle cry on their lips. As the first Noxians reached the wall of shields, spears from to the second in line thrust in between the monstrous shields of the first line, killing the Noxians instantly. The sheer mechanical precision that was executed drove stakes of trepidation and panic deterred the rest of the Noxians from charging blindly into their ranks. The spears retracted together, in such synchronisation that only a single _shlick _was heard as they pulled out of the bodies of the first fallen Noxians. To the Noxian frontlines great misfortune, their comrades behind them had not seen the horrors that would be inflicted upon them. The result was that in their maddened state of adrenaline courage and utter stupidity, they barrelled through and even pushed their peers to death at the hands of the Rakkoran spears in front of them.

Even Kor Leader Jagen was baffled at his stroke of good luck as he witness the initial demise of the Noxians at the hands of his warriors. Rakles beside him was smiling gleefully as blood and gore spattered about the pass, painting its walls red with the blood of Noxians. "This is a tragedy for Darius."

"Yes, but a joke for us." Rakles chuckled.

Soon enough, the Noxian forces started to get too cramped together for the Rakkoran warriors to pick targets and go for kill shots with their spears. Regrouping their numbers, the Noxians started to push the wall of shields once they had gotten themselves arranged orderly. At first, the pushing did nothing to the wall as the Rakkorans held their ground. It took all of their might to stand firm as the superior numbers of Noxians pushed together in hopes of toppling the phalanx.

The decisive moment occurred when one of the Rakkoran warriors lost his footing. Not by much, just a small slip from the wet ground beneath him. But that was enough. The man behind him grabbed him up before he could stumble but the lapse in the defence caused a weak link in the phalanx right as the Noxian army shoved for the umpteenth time. The phalanx was pushed back.

Anyone who has ever played a game of tug of war knows this phenomenon. You start off pulling. Nothing seems to happen at both ends. Both teams are equally matched as you yank with all your might at the rough rope together with your teammates. It just takes one mistake, one person who did not pull hard enough or another that had just a slight slip of his foot and the whole game is lost. The other team will notice, oh yes they will. Ground gives way and your whole team is lurched forward. Everyone on your side scrambles for proper footing and tugs frantically at the rope, no longer in sync. But it is futile against the other more in-tune team and you lose.

That was what happened to the Rakkorans. One person stumbles for just a moment and the whole phalanx started to be pushed back. Jagen and Rakles immediately saw the change in the tide and ran up to the pass.

"HOLD THE LINE! HOLD THE LINE!" Rakles bellowed. The warriors struggled as the Noxians continued their assault, pushing them back to the exit of the pass. The locked shields held up, barely but the warriors could not get solid footing before the next shove came, causing them to be pushed back, which in turn made them lose their ground again as the cycle repeated. If this went on, they would be forced out of the pass where the advantage of numbers by the Noxians would truly shine in the valley.

Jagen had been in that situation before, on the losing end of the pushing competition. Back then, his second in command has been Nestos, Pantheon's father. Side by side, they endured the absurdity that happened before their eyes, losing a battle to the Zaunists near the Demacian borders. ( Two hundered Rakkorans had been hired by a local captain – a rich fellow – against a Zaunite vanguard of zombified corpses.)

Nestos commanded them to hold steady, not to push back but to just keep the shields locked tight as the fearless undead pushed them back and back with rhythm. Jagen looked at him, thinking he were mad. If they kept this up, they would have been pushed over into the ravine in just a few more seconds.

But Nestos had a plan. The reason behind why he told the men to keep the shields locked instead of individually shoving their way was because he wanted a decisive, coherent shield butt by all the warriors at the front. And that too, had to be done at a precise moment. Right after they were shoved back again when the corpses bounced away from their shields and right before they jumped back to it. Just as the rear met the edge of the ravine, Nestos had gotten the timing down to the millisecond. The corpses leaned back for the shove.

"NOW!" Nestos cried out as he thrust out his shield at the annoying undead in front of him. The sheer momentum of their heavy shields combine with the fact that the zombies were leaning back at that moment caused a near comical domino effect as the whole army fell backwards. Then the obliteration of the Zaunists first and only undead army began.

Jagen might not have been the most cunning or resourceful person as Nestos was, but he sure did learn a lot of things that day. One, Nestos was probably the most dangerous yet loyal Rakkoran he would ever have the privilege to call a friend. Two, Jagen knew how to counter the dilemma his warriors now faced. He took in a deep breath and shouted as loud as he could so that the front warriors could hear him.

"LOCK SHIELDS. DON'T PUSH UNTIL I SAY OTHERWISE!"

Warriors they may be, but they were excellent soldiers as well. They knew when it was the time to listen to orders and when they were allowed to unleash full, uninhibited hell on their enemies. The warriors locked shields tightly, becoming a single unit once more. The Noxians pushed.

"PUSH!" Jagen bellowed.

The Rakkorans butted out their shields all at once, toppling the Noxians back into the mass of purple of their army. A loud cheer erupted from the Rakkoran side as they saw their enemies fall over.

"Attack." Jagen ordered smugly.

The slaughter started.

* * *

Leona met the initiates on their way back to Fort Apollo.

All of them looked sullen as they gloomily trudged through the valley towards Fort Apollo. Pantheon led the pack, stoic as ever with that helmet of his covering his entire countenance. Diana and Menes followed two paces behind while Penelope jogged up when she saw Leona in the distance. Her armour jostled at each step that she took towards her best friend. Even her spearhead which was a little loose, rattled. (She had not been the most attentive to her gear).

"What's wrong? Why are you all going back?" Leona asked.

"Pantheon ordered us to." Penelope replied.

"And you just went along with it?"

"Well, no. Most wanted to fight but Pantheon rather forcefully coerced us into falling back."

Well, Leona of course had nothing to say against that. That was the original plan after all, one that she was in total agreement with. Pantheon had done well, truth be told. She had sincere doubts that he could actually force almost-Rakkorans with his limited oral capabilities to turn their backs on a heated battle not two kilometres away. If she craned her neck hard enough, she could still see the battle raging on at Pollux Pass. The warriors were gaining the upperhand as they had more combat training and experience compared to the Noxian army. Who could match the Rakkorans anyway? They had been born, bred and brought up to fight for centuries.

Leona fell into step beside Pantheon as they marched onwards back to Fort Apollo. He gave no indication that he knew that she was there beside him. Menes on the other hand, quipped

"Those trees do not seem quite right."

Out of curiosity, Pantheon and Leona turned to see what he had meant. They were on the edge of a small grove where ordinary pine trees grew. It was the beginning of springtime and the bark of the pine trees were uneven, as if a wild bear had rubbed its scent on it to mark its territory. There was only one problem though. There were no wild bears in Rakkor.

"Fuck! PHALANX! NOW!" Pantheon exclaimed, raising his shield at the general direction of the trees. Thankfully, the initiates were all quick of mind and instinctively formed the phalanx formation in mere seconds. They may not have been as cohesive as the display of Rakkoran formation moments ago but they'd be damned if they could not even form a simple phalanx.

Everyone remained frozen at their place, waiting for trouble. The air was thick with anticipation as Pantheon kept his eyes peeled for the enemy to make their move. Keeping his shield raised, he ducked low to pick a stone and flung it from the safety of his shield into the bushes beside the tree. The eerie part was, the stone did not even complete its parabolic trajectory towards the bush. Midway, it stopped and bounced back, as if it had hit something.

The air in front of them became hazy, as if the ground was as hot as the sands of the Shurima Desert itself. The distortion of light darkened, slowly revealing humanoid forms that bore the tell-tale purple that was always associated with the Noxians. Leona gripped her spear tightly at the sight of the enemy.

The second Noxian army was large. It spanned from their current location almost to the rear of the initiates. All of them were foot soldiers though, which relieved the initiates who were not yet used to warding off cavalry attacks. Pantheon noted that the Noxians had actually made a mistake, which was to cover the wrong rear retreat. Their weak position gave the initiates a chance to retreat to Fort Apollo which would have been cut off if only the Noxian army had covered the other flank and rear instead.

The Noxians themselves looked grimly on at the initiates, most likely not anticipating for their early reveal. The mage that had cast the weak stealth spell had already fled the scene to rejoin the main troops at Pollux pass through the same means he had used to transport the army here. All of the purple clad soldiers were equipped to the teeth, giving Pantheon the impression that they were here to attack Fort Apollo instead of hitting the Rakkoran army from behind; a wise decision that might have worked had Menes not pointed out a few off-looking trees.

For the moment, no one made a single move, content just to observe one another in the tense atmosphere. Sweat profused down Pantheon's brow as he tried to figure out a way to retreat to Fort Apollo. Surely Corin had already spotted the conundrum that they were in and was devising her own plans at the base. Right as a drop of perspiration dripped into his left eye, a wild battle cry erupted from the ranks of the initiates. Confusion broke out as the initiates tried to find the source of the cry when a figure broke away from the phalanx, brandishing his spear and charging right for the Noxians.

"PERSEUS YOU IDIOT!" Leona shouted.

* * *

A/N

First time I've done an A/N at the bottom eh? Late on the update but I actually have a solid reason this time round. I've stupidly signed up for this speech competition that's gonna be going down the day after tomorrow (SAT, 3rd of March 2014) so I've been real busy preparing my speech, memorising my lines etc,etc.

Hopefully this chappie is up to standard. I'm proud of this one (unlike chapter 2)

Imagine Leona screaming that last sentence in Japanese.

"PERSEUS NO BAKA!"

OMG so tsundere.

Yes, I am sooo into animes and mangas. Normally go for the romancy and tsundere action stuff. Nope no mechas unfortunately.


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